Automatic flood-gate.



0. OLSON.

AUTOMATIC FLOOD GATE.

APPLIOATION IILBD MAY 25. 1908.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

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O. OLSON.

AUTOMATIC FLOOD GATE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 25, 1903.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

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AUTOMATIC FLOOD-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1908.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Serial No. 43 .5939.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLA OLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Prophetstown, in the county of Whiteside, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Flood-Gates and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to flood gates or drift wood gates, adapted to be disposed in low places or shallow streams in which water is liable to suddenly rise during certain seasons of the year, and especially in the springtime, and carrying down the stream the flood wood and other similar material, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed gate adapted to be disposed across the path of such drift material and which will be swung out of the path by the material passing through and then automatically returned to its normal position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sim ly constructed device of this character w erein the gate may be adjusted and adapted to different stages of water or to variations in the bed of the stream or the low land where the gate is erected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily adapted to streams or low places of varying widths without structural changes in the gate.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved gate. Fig. 2 is a plan view enlarged and partly in section of one of the hinge portions of the device. Fig. 3 is an end view, enlarged.

The improved device comprises posts 1011 spaced apart and disposed at opposite sides of the stream or low land over which the gate is to ,be erected, the posts 101l forming portions of the line of the fence which crosses the stream, the wires 12 of the fence being connected as shown to these posts 1011. Each of the posts 1011 is provided near its u er end with a transverse bearing, preferaby formed of a section of gas piping 13, and mounted for rotation in these bearings is a head member formed of sections of gas piping 17 coupled at 16 by collars and with the outer ends threaded, so that additional pipe sections may be added when required to lengthen the head. Disposed upon the head member near the ends are stop collars 18 bearing at opposite sides of the posts 1011 and secured in place by set screws 19, so that the head member is free to rotate within the posts but is held from longitudinal movement by the stop collars.

Formed through the head member at in tervals are spaced apertures through which rods 20 extend, the rods threaded for a considerable distance of their lengths and provided with nuts 2122 at opposite sides of the head member, the nuts serving to couple the rods to the head member, and at the same time provide for the longitudinal adjustment of the rods to any required extent within the range of the threaded portions thereof. By this means the rods 20 may be adjusted vertically so that their lower ends may be spaced uniformly from the water when the device is erected over a running stream or at uniform distances from the ground when the device is erected over low places or sloughs which contain water only at certain intervals. Attached to the head member 17 at the ends are hooks 23 while similar hooks 24 are connected to the posts 1011, and connected between these hooks are springs 25 operating to maintain the head member and the rods 20 yieldably in vertical position.

Connected to the head member 17 preferably near each end are stop members comprising base portions 26 and spaced forked portions 2728 extending at opposite sides of the posts 1011 and serving to limit the movement of the head member 17. The forked portions 2728 bear against the upstream side of the posts 1011 when the springs are in operative position as shown in Fig. 3, and thus prevent the head member from being rotated by the spring beyond a point which will maintain the rods 20 vertically. By this arrangement it will be obvious that the rods 20 will be retained normally in vertical position by the action of the springs, and will remain in this position and form a gate across the space between the posts 10-11 so long as no obstructions come in contact with the rods, but in event of the abnormal rise of water and the presence of drift wood or other material carried by the stream, the head member 17 together with the rods will open and permit the drift wood to pass, and then be automatically returned to vertical position by the reaction of the springs. The forked portions 2728, it will be'obvious serve to prevent the movement of the membei' 17 beyond a certain point, so that no danger exists of the gate being overturned by the action of the drift material. Bearing plates 2930.- are attached to the opposite faces of the posts and against which the forked portions 2728 of ti e stop devices bear, and thus prevent undue wear of the posts.

By arranging the head member 17 in sections of piping it is obvious that the head member may be lengthened or shortened to any required extent and the gate thereby correspondingly increased and decreased in width to adapt the improved device to streams or low places of various widths by simply adding sections of the piping having the apertures for the rods therein and supplying an additional number of the rods.

The device is simple in construction, eflicient in action, and may be inexpensively manufactured and easily installed in the locality where required.

I/Vhat is claimed, is

1., In a device of the class described a gate structure including a head member mounted to swing, a plurality of threaded rods passing through said head member, and nuts at opposite sides of said head member, whereby the free ends of the rods are adjustable to conform to the surfaces over which the gate swings.

2. A flood gate comprising spaced posts, a head member mounted for rotation upon said posts, a plurality of rods spaced apart and carried by said head member, a stop device having spaced forked members bearing upon opposite sides of said posts whereby the movement of said head member and its rods is limited.

3. In a flood gate, spaced posts having bearings, a head member swinging in said bearings, a plurality of threaded rods spaced apart and extending through said head member, and nuts engaging said rods at each side of said head member.

4. In a flood gate, spaced posts having bearings, a head member swinging in said bearings, a plurality of rods. spaced apart and connected to said head, member, and a body connected to said head member and provided with spaced arms extending over opposite sides of said posts and limiting the movement of the head member.

5. In, a flood gate, spaced posts having bearings, a head member swinging in said bearings, a plurality of rods spaced apart and connected to said head member, a body connected to said head member and provided with spaced arms extending over opposite sides of said posts and limiting the movement of the head member, and a spring; operating to maintain the head member yieldably in one position.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

OLA OLSON.

Witnesses HATTIE ANDERSON, CELIA MA'rnIs. 

